Former WBA Light Heavyweight World Champion Gabriel “The Handsome Man” Campillo (21-3-1, 8 KOs) and his outstanding support team, landed in in Corpus Christi, Texas, at 4 pm yesterday, in advance of Campillo’s challenge for unbeaten Tavoris Cloud’s (24-0, 19 KOs) IBF championship at American Bank Center Arena this Saturday night.
The 12-round battle will serve as the opening televised bout of the Showtime broadcast that will also feature former world champion Paul Williams (40-2, 27 KOs) taking on Nobuhiro Ishida (24-6-2, 9 KOs) of Osaka, Japan.
Campillo says he and budding superstar trainer Pablo Sarmiento had a fantastic camp, working with middleweight champion (and Campillo manager) Sergio Martinez, who is also in heavy training for his upcoming fight.
“Few people are giving me a shot in this fight and that just motivates me more to prove them wrong,” said the eager Campillo. “This won’t be the first time I’ve gone to another country and returned home an upset victor,” continued the Madrid, Spain, native.
Campillo has a point. He won his WBA title from an Argentinian in Argentina, defended it successfully against a Kazakhstani in Kazakhstan, and in his last fight, an IBF eliminator, fought to a controversial draw with a German in Germany.
Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing, Campillo’s promoter, is with his fighter and recommends the live audience and television viewers that night prepare themselves.
“Gabriel had a fantastic camp and he is fully ready to spring a surprise on Tavoris Cloud on Saturday. He is always at his best when he comes into another fighter’s territory and is not expected to win. After the fight, the only ones who are not in shock will be our team. We know what’s coming.”
